


your lips are undeniable

by annperkinsface



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 14:17:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6082515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annperkinsface/pseuds/annperkinsface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm not allowed," Nina protests, crowded into the bodega bathroom because Usnavi is good people and can be trusted to not sell them out, but she's halfway into laughing so Vanessa's not exactly inclined to take her all that seriously right now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	your lips are undeniable

_fourteen._

Nina is fourteen and she's never worn lipstick, which is a travesty, _seriously_.

"I'm not allowed," Nina protests, crowded into the bodega bathroom because Usnavi is good people and can be trusted to not sell them out, but she's halfway into laughing so Vanessa's not exactly inclined to take her all that seriously right now.

"Yeah, okay," Vanessa says. "You're fourteen, not twelve. And what Kevin doesn't know won't kill him. He should be grateful, even, that this is the extent of your teenage rebellion."

"I think we're technically preteen. Hence the 'no lipstick until you're sixteen' rule."

"Ugh," Vanessa says, screwing up her face to show exactly what she makes of that ridiculous rule. "Also who says hence, you freaking nerd."

"Me," says Nina. "And Usnavi. Possibly also Sonny, if what Abuela told me the other day is right."

"You're a terrible influence, Nina Rosario," Vanessa says, gravely, and staunchly ignores the weird things Nina's delighted, self-satisfied smile is doing to her insides.

Nina raises an eyebrow, still smiling. "Says the girl actively encouraging me to disobey my father."

"It's just lipstick," Vanessa says, unable to keep from rolling her eyes. "It'll wipe off. Now hold still or I'm going to smear it all over your face."

Vanessa doesn't smear lipstick all over Nina's face, but it's a close thing, because it's all just a bit more than she expected. Less platonic? More intimate? It's _something_ , and she's relieved when she finally steps back, the weird things her insides are doing returning with a vengeance.

She hands Nina a strip of toilet paper to blot her lips with and swallows, feeling unsteady.

"How do I look?" Nina asks, her smile a tentative curve, but her lips nice and full and red, and paired with her darker hair it is just - - wow.

"Hot," Vanessa says, decisively, once she's caught her breath. "Now c'mon. Let's see if we can get Usnavi to spill some coffee or something."

"You're terrible," Nina says but happily complies.

 

 

  
_sixteen._

Vanessa cheers when the digital clock on Nina's bedside table hits 12:00, squeezing Nina close even as she laughs and hushes her, her curls brushing Vanessa's cheek.

"Your time has finally come," Vanessa says. "Look out world! Brand new Nina Rosario."

"I don't think this changes things too much," Nina says. "Or at all, really."

"It changes everything, are you kidding," Vanessa says. "The days of us skulking around are behind us. You can wear as much lipstick as you goddamn please."

"It was literally one time," Nina says. "And I'm still mostly going to stick to lip gloss."

Vanessa turns her face into Nina's hair and sighs, eternally put-upon. "Okay, but I still think you should wear lipstick to breakfast. Kevin's face would be hilarious."

"Hm," Nina says, like she's really thinking it over, the little shit. "Yeah, no."

"So much for sweet sixteen," Vanessa grumbles but she's smiling before she even realizes it, fumbling around in the dark until she finds Nina's hand, tripping her fingers down to her wrist. "Happy birthday," Vanessa says, softly, tapping them against Nina's pulse once, twice, like morse code or some shit; all the things she can't say or doesn't know how to admit.

Nina chuffs out a laugh, quiet, warm, knocking their shoulders together. "Thanks."

 

 

  
_eighteen._

"How do you never get lipstick on your teeth?" Nina asks, petulant. "I don't understand."'

"It's my superpower," Vanessa says, tugging her into a corner that, miraculously, isn't already occupied by horny people. "Like understanding differential equations is yours."

Nina laughs. "Do you even know what those are?"

"No," Vanessa admits, grinning, "but you're going to Stanford and not me, so."

Nina leans against the wall, looking dazed. "I am," she says. "Going to Stanford. That's -- how is that?"

"It helps that you didn't fail math three times," Vanessa says, lightly. It's either that or roll her eyes because it was a surprise to literally no one but Nina.

"To be fair, Mrs. Simpson was a really bad teacher," Nina says. "I had my share of them too. I just....I always worked really hard."

"Well, there's your answer," Vanessa says, digging a napkin out of her purse and pressing it into Nina's hand. "Now wipe your teeth, Miss Barrio's Best. We've got dancing to do."

And that should've been the end of that, but Vanessa's body isn't on the same page, because instead of dropping her hand and stepping away, Vanessa ends up stepping in.

Nina lets out a soft "Oh," against Vanessa's mouth and presses closer and Christ, isn't it a night full of surprises, Vanessa thinks, Nina's free hand lifting to relax Vanessa's jaw, the other clutching Vanessa's like a lifeline. You can't platonically have your tongue in your best friend's mouth and it's as terrifying as it is exhilarating.

She pulls away, her heart jack-rabbiting in her chest. They're still holding hands, the reason rumpled and forgotten on the floor. "Wow."

"Yeah," Nina agrees, licking her lips then her teeth, face turning contemplative. "You licked the lipstick off, oh my god."

"Is that okay?" Vanessa asks, like Nina wasn't completely into it at the time.

"It depends," Nina says, flashing the very same teeth and fuck if this wasn't going to be a thing now, "on whether or not you got all of it."

"Oh, I am very thorough," Vanessa murmurs, leaning back in, and revels in Nina's laughter on her cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> i finally wrote vanessa/nina!!!! i am very happy. what better way to ring in my gay ass' favorite time of year aka femslash february tbh
> 
> side note: my mental nina is always my favorite nina arielle jacobs


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